- RAF Leiston
Infobox Airport
name = Royal Air Force Station Leiston
USAAF Station 373
nativename =
nativename-a =
nativename-r =
image-width = 300
caption = Leiston Airfield - 12 June 1946
IATA =
ICAO =
type = Military
owner =
operator =Royal Air Force United States Army Air Forces
city-served =
location =Theberton ,Suffolk ,England
elevation-f =
elevation-m =
coordinates = Coord|52|13|N|01|33|E|type:airport
website =
metric-elev =
metric-rwy =
r1-number = 06/24
r1-length-f = 6,000
r1-length-m = 1,818
r1-surface = Closed
r2-number = 13/31
r2-length-f = 4,200
r2-length-m = 1,272
r2-surface = Closed
r3-number = 18/0
r3-length-f = 4,200
r3-length-m = 1,272
r3-surface = Closed
stat-year =
stat1-header =
stat1-data =
stat2-header =
stat2-data =
footnotes = Location map|Suffolk
caption= RAF Leiston, shown within Suffolk
lat= 52.221
long= 1.556
width= 200RAF Leiston is a former airfield in the
United Kingdom . The airfield is located 1.5 kilometers northwest ofLeiston and a kilometer south ofTheberton at coord|52|13|N|01|33|E inSuffolk .USAAF use
Originally intended as a fighter base for
RAF Fighter Command , RAF Leiston airfield was allocated to the U.S.Eighth Air Force on September 22, 1942 and designated Station 373 (LI).The airfield was constructed to
Class A airfield standards between September 1942 and September 1943 by John Mowlem and Company Ltd. and first occupied by the USAAF in October 1943. Leiston's proximity to the coast meant that the airfield was used on many occasions by battle-damaged aircraft returning from operations over Europe. The first aircraft to land on the airfield - while it was still under construction - are believed to have been two B-17 Fortresses which were returning from operations on July 30, 1943. One aircraft nearly hit a contractor's vehicle when coming in to land as some of the runways were still partly obstructed by tree stumps and other materials.The three
runway s were concrete overlaid with asphalt, with 62 aircraft dispersals (38 concrete pans and 12 twin pens with blast walls) situated along its perimeter track. The USAAF added 17 PSP parking squares and a walled 6-plane revetment for additional aircraft parking. Support structures included two T-2 hangars (each 239½' X 115' X 29' in dimension) and 12 corrugatedsteel 60' wide Over Blister hangars dispersed on all sides of the perimeter track. The ten living sites located west of the airfield had a capacity for 1709 personnel.358th Fighter Group
The 358th Fighter Group arrived at Leiston from
RAF Goxhill on 29 November 1943 after completing training. The group was assigned to the 66th Fighter Wing of the VIII Fighter Command. Aircraft of the group were identified by yellow cowlings.The group consisted of the following squadrons:
* 365th Fighter Squadron (CH)
* 366th Fighter Squadron (IA)
* 367th Fighter Squadron (CP) The 358th FG began operations on 20 December 1943 and engaged in escort work until April 1944 to cover the operations of B-17/B-24 bombers that the USAAF sent against targets on the Continent. On 31 January 1944 the group relocated toRAF Raydon near Ipswich and became part of theNinth Air Force , which in turn transferred the P-51-equipped 357th Fighter Group from Raydon to the Eighth Air Force.357th Fighter Group
The
357th Fighter Group , arrived at Leiston fromRAF Raydon on 31 January 1944, replacing the P-47-equipped 358th Fighter Group in the 66th Fighter Wing, VIII Fighter Command. After March 1944 aircraft of the group were identified by red-yellow-red rings on the propeller spinner and a 12" red and yellow band around the forward part of the nose in the checkerboard pattern of the 66th Fighter Wing groups.The group consisted of the following squadrons:
* 362d Fighter Squadron (fuselage code G4), dispersals along the 18-00 runway (357th technical site)
* 363d Fighter Squadron (code B6), dispersals along the 06-24 runway (Buckles Wood)
* 364th Fighter Squadron (code C5), dispersals along the 13-31 runway (Moat Farm) The 357th FG served as an escort group, providing penetration, target, and withdrawal support for bombers that attacked strategic objectives on the Continent and began operations in the assault against the German Air Force and aircraft industry during Big Week, 20-25 Feb 1944.The group received a
Distinguished Unit Citation for two escort missions in which heavy opposition was encountered from enemy fighters: on 6 March 1944 provided target and withdrawal support during the first attack that heavy bombers of Eighth AF made onBerlin . On 29 June 1944 the group protected bombers that struck targets atLeipzig . The unit received second DUC for operations on 14 January 1945 when the group, covering 3rd Division B-17's on a raid tosynthetic oil plants at Derben broke up an attack by a large force of interceptors and in the ensuing aerial battle destroyed 56.5 German fighters (later credited as 55.5), the largest number of claims by any Eighth Air Force group on a single mission.In addition to escort the 357th conducted counter-air patrols, made fighter sweeps, and flew strafing and dive-bombing missions in which it attacked airfields, marshalling yards, locomotives, bridges, barges, tugboats, highways, vehicles, fuel dumps, and other targets. Participated in the invasion of Normandy in June 1944, the breakthrough at
St Lo in July, theBattle of the Bulge , Dec 1944-Jan 1945; and the airborne assault across the Rhine in March 1945.The group flew its last mission, an escort operation, on 25 April 1945 and moved to
Neubiberg ,Germany on 21 July and was assigned toUnited States Air Forces in Europe for duty with the army of occupation.Postwar use
After the Americans departed for occupation duty, Leiston was returned to the RAF on 10 October 1945 and until 1953 it was known as No. 18 Recruit Centre, Technical Training Command. With the closure of the recruit center, Leiston was placed into care and maintenance status, then closed for good in 1955. Parts of the airfield were sold during the late 1950s and 60's, with the last pieces being returned to the public in 1965.
Today Leiston airfield is virtually unrecognizeable. The airfield area itself, has largely been returned to agriculture except for the Cakes & Ale Park, about 1/3rd of the main runway and a short section of perimeter track further down Harrow Lane. The NW runway still exists in its full length but has been reduced to a width of about 4 metres but cannot be viewed from public roads.
A few old buildings still exist on the airfield and also on a domestic site but most are overgrown with vegetation and in poor condition.
ee also
*
List of RAF stations
* USAAF Eighth Air Force - World War IIReferences
* Freeman, Roger A. (1978) Airfields of the Eighth: Then and Now. After the Battle ISBN 0900913096
* Freeman, Roger A. (1991) The Mighty Eighth The Colour Record. Cassell & Co. ISBN 0-304-35708-1
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
* [http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/usafserials.html USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to present]
* [http://mighty8thaf.preller.us/php/1Loc.php?Base=Leiston mighty8thaf.preller.us Leiston]
* [http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/357thfg.php 357th Fighter Group on www.littlefriends.co.uk]External links
* [http://357thfightergroup.com 357th Fighter Group Website]
* [http://www.friendsofleistonairfield.co.uk Friends of Leiston Airfield]* [http://www.multimap.com/maps/?&t=l&
14|4&loc=GB:52.20589:1.57478:14&dp=841#t=l&map=52.22656,1.58233|15|32&loc=GB:52.20589:1.57478:14 Aerial Photo of RAF Leiston From Multimap.Com]
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